The Bet
by NaruDeeds
Summary: Reading a self-help book inspires Naruto to make a bet with Sakura: that he can get her together with Sasuke in one week! Will he win the bet? (Note - NaruSaku pairing)
1. Sunday - the Wager Placed

A quick new story! The chapters are shorter than my normal stories, but the story is all written. I'm just putting the chapters up as I edit them (probably once every 1-2 days).

And make no mistake - this _is_ in fact a NaruSaku story!

And on we go.

Please do enjoy _The Bet: Sunday - the Wager Placed_

* * *

It was a beautiful sunny day in Konoha, and Sakura Haruno was currently standing in the shade safely under a large, looming tree. On many summer days she could be found under this tree. It was in a peaceful area, it was somewhat close to where she used to train when Team 7 was an active squad, and it just so happened to be one of her favorite reading spots. But today was different. Today, instead of sitting peacefully under the tree reading up on some new medical technique, she was doing her very best to keep her jaw from hanging open.

The scroll in her hand that she had planned on reading long forgotten, she stared down in confusion, trying to decipher the odd sight that was presented to her. Today, someone was sitting in her usual spot, which, tended to happen from time to time. It was a great spot after all. But this wasn't one of the people who sometimes sat reading in her spot. As a matter of fact, this wasn't a person who read… _at all_.

She stared down at him for a full minute without him noticing. He was completely engrossed in the book he was reading. She squinted down at the title – _Moving Forward and Finding Happiness_ – he was actually reading a self-help book! This was officially the weirdest thing she had ever seen in her life. She tried waiting patiently for him to notice she was standing there… it wasn't often he read, so she didn't want to be the reason he lost his train of thought and never read a book again. But… she wasn't always the most patient person with him.

"Naruto…why are you reading a book?" She finally asked.

Naruto suddenly glanced up at her with a surprised look on his face. Based on his reaction, she wagered he truly didn't realize she had been standing there! He was one of the most powerful men in the world, and few ninjas could match his sensory capabilities… yet he had been reading so intently that he hadn't even noticed her standing above him.

"Umm… well… Tsunade said I should start reading some. She said all great leaders read."

"I won't argue with that advice, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised to see you following it."

"Ehehe…" Naruto nervously laughed. "Well I guess that old lady is rubbing off on me some. But I suppose that's bound to happen when you spend four years getting tutored by someone, eh?"

"It is bound to happen." Sakura hummed. "Although I wish you wouldn't have picked up some of her more…negative habits."

"Negative habits? Like what?"

"When the war ended four years ago, you thought gambling was stupid and you thought sake was gross. But now you share her love of gambling and sake." Sakura sighed. "She's slowly corrupting my sweet, innocent teammate."

"Speaking of bets!" Naruto looked up at her with an odd smile. "I'd like to make one with you."

"Ugh. Go figure. I see you reading a book and start thinking that maybe, just maybe, you're turning a leaf. Then you go and try to rope me into a bet." Sakura replied, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Gambling is fun! Besides, it was something I read in this book that inspired my bet!"

"And that bet is…"

"I bet that I can get you and Sasuke together in one week!"

It seemed Naruto wasn't out of surprises today. Usually when Naruto made a bet with her it was over something stupid, and the stakes were usually along the lines of lunch at Ichiraku's. This… this wasn't a bet she would have ever expected him to try to make in a million years.

"Are you joking?" She asked suspiciously.

"Not at all!"

"And what are the stakes… What do you get if you win?"

"Umm… well, I uh… hadn't thought of that."

"Naruto… the point of a bet is the winner gets something."

"I know! If I win, you have to set me up on a date!"

"Ok… Fine. If I win, you have to do anything I say for a full week."

"WHAT?! A week?! You do realize I'm trying to help you here?"

"I gotta keep things interesting." Sakura replied, flashing Naruto a smile. "Besides, you sounded pretty confident when you suggested this bet. You seem to believe that all you need is one week to get Sasuke and me together."

"I am! I'm going to win this bet." Naruto confidently replied.

"Then why do you care what I get if I win?"

"Well…uh…"

"Because the fact that you care tells me you're not so confident."

"I'm confident! I'm extremely confident! You know what, I'll do you one better. If you win, I'll do whatever you want for a _month_!"

"Hmm… One week, eh?"

"One week!"

"And you came up with this bet while reading a self-help book?"

"That's right!" Naruto grinned.

"Well you certainly have earned your title of number one most surprising ninja today…" Sakura hummed. She flashed him an amused smile. "Ok, Naruto. You're on."

"YES! You better start thinking of the perfect woman to set me up with, Sakura! Because this time next week, you're going to be together with Sasuke!"

"We'll see…" Sakura replied. "Well, I'll leave you to it. See you around, Naruto."

Scroll in hand long forgotten, Sakura walked away while pondering just what Naruto was up to.

* * *

Naruto watched Sakura walk away with a strange feeling. He glanced down at the book he had been reading and steeled his heart. The book talked about the importance of keeping your eyes in front of you and not obsessing over your past. It talked about thinking out what you need to be satisfied with your life, and setting achievable goals to get there.

For Naruto to be completely satisfied with his life, he needed to eventually find a woman to date and eventually marry. He _wanted_ that woman to be Sakura… more than anything he wanted It to be Sakura… But she wasn't an _achievable_ goal. Her heart had been set on Sasuke just about as long as his had been set on her. But it had been four years now since the war ended and Sasuke came home. Four years, and they still weren't a couple… and until today, Naruto never saw a problem with that. As a matter of fact, he _had_ been grateful for it. As long as they weren't together, he could hold onto a small smidgeon of hope that one day Sakura would choose him instead.

However, after starting to read through _Moving Forward and Finding Happiness_, he realized that what he was doing right now wasn't healthy for his long-term happiness. Pining after Sakura wasn't helping him move forward, it was keeping him rooted in the past. But how could he not pine after her when she was technically single?

The conflicted feeling in his gut was nothing new, but it was certainly amplified presently. He made the bet. He was going to do it. He was going to make sure that the girl he loved ended up with the guy she loved. Then… then he could finally move on. Once she was officially off the market, he could move forward and find the women he was meant to be with.

"Ah what am I doing thinking like this?" Naruto asked no one in particular. "I have some work to do! Summoning jutsu!"

Two small toads appeared in a poof of smoke.

"Wow, it's a beautiful day here in Konoha." The first toad said, glancing around and taking in the scenery.

"It's no Mount Myoboku… but it's alright." The second toad added.

"No time to sit around and take in the scenery you two! It's almost lunch time! I need you to deliver some messages for me…"

* * *

Approximately 20 minutes later, Naruto was hiding in a tree near a newly opened noodle restaurant. From what he overheard from his friends who were actually in the dating game, this place was the _best_ first-date spot in Konoha. It was moderately priced, the food was fantastic, it offered a great view of the city and apparently the décor inside was intimate without being _too_ intimate… whatever that meant.

Right on time, Sakura came walking down the path to the restaurant. He masked his chakra so she wouldn't notice him. He watched as she looked around, and upon seeing neither of the people she was supposed to be meeting for lunch, took a seat at a nearby bench. But she didn't have to wait long. Sasuke came down the path a few moments later, waved to her and walked over to sit with her. They both looked around, waiting for the third person they were supposed to be meeting for lunch. Naruto grinned. They had no idea they had just walked into his trap.

"Summoning jutsu." He whispered. Another poof of smoke went off to reveal one of the small toads from before.

"What now?"

"Tell Sakura and Sasuke that I'm unfortunately not going to be able to make it to lunch. Tsunade called me in for some surprise diplomatic training."

"But you're not training with Tsunade… You're sitting in a tree, staring at Sakura and Sasuke. Which to be honest boss, is a little creepy." The small toad pointed out.

"It's a white lie! Just go say it!"

The toad shot Naruto a confused look before starting to hop towards the bench where Sakura and Sasuke were seated.

"No no!" Naruto hastily whispered. "Not like that! Summons show up in a puff of smoke when they come to deliver a message! If they saw you just hop up, they would be suspicious."

The small toad sighed, but disappeared only to reappear directly before Sakura and Sasuke in a poof of smoke.

"You're the little guy who delivered Naruto's lunch invite to me… Where is he?" Sakura asked. "If he's picking up Kakashi's habit of tardiness…"

"Actually, the boss sent me to tell you two that he won't be able to make lunch. Tsunade called him in for some surprise diplomatic training."

"Did she now…" Sakura said. The look on her face made it clear she was entirely unconvinced. But Naruto wasn't worried about that. She knew about the bet. She was probably expecting something like this. Sasuke was the one he needed to fool. Sasuke just needed to spend some time one on one with Sakura to realize how great she is. But he wouldn't do that if he thought they were on a date.

"Considering it's Naruto, that's probably a good thing." Sasuke said. "His main method of diplomacy is to challenge someone to a fight. That's probably not going to work when he's hokage…"

"Oh my god… I could just see him now. Challenging the fire daimyo to a fight over some stupid tax issue!" Sakura started laughing.

"He would probably do that on his first day on the job too. I bet he wouldn't last a day before the daimyo threw him in jail for trying to fight!" Sasuke added, causing Sakura to laugh harder.

Safely hidden from view, Naruto watched the scene indignantly. As if he would be stupid enough to challenge the fire daimyo to a fight... He would only do it if they guy really deserved it. He had diplomatic skills… But other than that, he was happy with what he was watching. Sakura and Sasuke's sneaky surprise date was already off to a great start. The two of them were smiling, bantering back and forth about all the different ways he'd get arrested as the hokage and laughing their asses off. Naruto had honestly never seen Sasuke laugh so hard.

Finally their laughter calmed down when the small toad cleared his throat.

"Oh, sorry. You probably want to go back now, right?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, please! Your village is fine, but it's got nothing on mine!"

"Sure. Thanks for delivering the message. I'll scold Naruto for inviting us to lunch and then not showing up later!"

"Well... we're here, and I'm hungry. So I'm going to go in there and eat without him." Sasuke said. "Coming?"

"Of course! What kind of teammate would I be if I turned down Naruto's lunch invite?" Sakura retorted.

Naruto crinkled his nose. She had turned down his lunch invites _plenty_ of times. His two teammates walked into the restaurant, and Naruto flickered to a bush near a window. He activated a henge so he could watch. Some may say that henging into a bush leaf to watch two people's date through a window is kind of creepy… but Naruto had a lot riding on this. He needed to see what occurred between Sakura and Sasuke. He also activated a jutsu to enhance his hearing so he could hear what was going on. Their conversation could help him choose their second date somehow…

He pushed down the feeling of jealousy when the hostess sat them at a table for two, and he ignored the hurt feeling when he noticed how widely Sakura was smiling when their conversation started. He reminded himself that this was the obtainable goal. Sakura and Sasuke were intertwined. He just needed to connect them, and then he could finally move forward with his life.

Sakura and Sasuke ended up spending an entire hour in the restaurant, and more of that hour was spent talking than eating. Naruto knew that they were destined for each other, but he was caught off guard how easily they conversed. Sasuke was always so quiet, and Sakura was always so… well, she was Sakura. Loud, abrasive, angry, caring… Yet, there they were. Chatting with each other without so much as a second of awkward silence. It was a strange thing to witness. But finally, it came time to go. As they got up from their table, Naruto dropped his henge and leaped back into the tree where he had originally hid.

Sakura and Sasuke exited the restaurant, smiled and then gave each other a hug. They both went in opposite directions after that. Sakura headed towards what Naruto guessed was either the hospital or Ino's place, and Sasuke back to his apartment probably. All in all, that plan was a rousing success.

Naruto took out a scroll that he had written out his goal on.

_Goal – Get Sakura and Sasuke together within 1 week._

_Daily Goals__  
Sunday: Invite both to lunch at that new first-date spot, then don't show up, forcing them into a surprise date._

Naruto smiled and put a check by Monday's daily goal. It was only a matter of time now, he had officially set things in motion. By the end of the week, Sakura would be completely out of his reach, and he could finally move on.

* * *

That's that! There are 6 total chapters for this story - stay tuned!

Please do review! -ND


	2. Monday - Proving Strength

Chapter two is here!

Please do enjoy, _The Bet Chapter 2: Monday - Proving Strength_

* * *

Naruto was sporting a wide grin as he walked to Team 7's old training grounds the next afternoon. He hit his daily goal yesterday with ease. He essentially tricked Sakura and Sasuke to go on a lunch date. So now Sasuke knew that he and Sakura could easily get along and enjoyed each other's company. That was an important step one. But Naruto knew Sasuke well. Just being able to get along well with someone wasn't all that was important to Sasuke. Sasuke respected strength, and he was looking for that strength in his partner.

Sakura showed that she had the power to fight side by side with them during the war, but that was four years ago. Since the war, she hadn't really had to use her physical prowess. She mostly stuck to the hospital, going on just enough missions to get her outside of Konoha's walls every now and then. That four years was plenty of time for Sasuke to forget just how strong their third teammate was. He needed a refresher. Once he was reminded how strong Sakura was, he would see even further that she is the girl for him.

Naruto buried that uncomfortable feeling that always floated to the surface whenever he thought about Sakura and Sasuke together as he approached the bridge where they used to wait for Kakashi. True to form, both Sakura and Sasuke were already there.

"You actually made it." Sasuke hummed. "After ditching us yesterday, I wasn't sure if I could trust one of your invites."

"You're late you know." Sakura added. "Don't let Kakashi fool you; hokages aren't supposed to be late."

"Sorry sorry." Naruto apologized. "I umm… I ran into a little old lady who needed my help."

"Please tell me you were purposely doing a Kakashi joke." Sakura said, sweat dropping down the back of her head. "Because you're already letting some of Tsunade's worst traits rub off on you. I do not want Kakashi's worst traits added to the mix."

"Just joking." Naruto confirmed, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile.

"So what did you call us out here for?" Sasuke asked. "I cleared my schedule for the afternoon at your request, so it better be good."

"It's going to be! Sakura – let's spar!"

"Huh? You want to spar me?" Sakura asked in confusion. Naruto _never_ wanted to spar her. Partly because she knew she could let loose against him, with Kurama's natural healing factor and all, so she tended to get carried away some when sparring Naruto. But he also always held back whenever they sparred. He _hated_ hitting her.

"Yep! Let's go!"

"So… you had me free up my afternoon, just so I could watch you spar with Sakura?"

"Yeah… let's add Sasuke to the spar too. It can be a three way. Or, we can take turns teaming up on each other."

"Nope! Sasuke will get his turn. One on one! Or are you scared to take me on alone, Sakura-chan?" Naruto prodded. Knowing her as well as he did, Naruto knew exactly what his words would accomplish.

"SCARED?! YOU THINK I'M SCARED? HELL NO!" If Naruto didn't have to worry about a super-powered kunoichi punching his head off, he probably would've laughed at Sakura's abrupt change in demeanor… But Sakura was currently running at him with her fist cocked back.

"On second thought… this should be pretty amusing." Sasuke smirked. "This is worth clearing my afternoon."

Naruto didn't have time to retort. He ducked just as Sakura's fist neared his face. With his speed, Sakura's midsection was vulnerable for attack. But this spar wasn't about him defeating Sakura. This spar was about making Sakura look good. So he held his counter attack back and twisted to his right to avoid Sakura's knee.

Naruto leaped backwards to put some distance between the two of them. Sasuke may have forgotten how strong Sakura was, but he would never forget how strong Naruto was. But to really sell this, to really make this work, Naruto knew he had to make it look like he was going all out. He tapped into the chakra Kurama entrusted him with and activated his biju mode.

"Like that's going to save you!" Sakura yelled. She rushed him again, and this time, Naruto let her hit him (although, neither Sakura nor Sasuke would have known that). What they saw was him try to dodge Sakura's punch, but not react quick enough. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of him and he doubled over.

Sakura lifted her leg, preparing to deliver an axe kick to his back. Again, with his speed, Sakura left part of herself vulnerable. Naruto could easily react quick enough to take out the one leg that was now supporting her. Instead, he flared his chakra wildly as if preparing some big attack. He cried out in pain as Sakura's leg connected with his back and drove him into the ground.

He rolled over just in time to see the sole of Sakura's sandal coming down towards his face. Now that attack _he needed _to dodge, or she was liable to cave his face in. Sakura was able to open rifts in the earth with the force of her stomps. He rolled to the right and flipped himself up into the air just as Sakura's foot connected with the ground where his head used to be. The ground shook in protest beneath her as huge chunks of earth were flown into the air.

Sakura had no plans on giving him any time to react. She was on him the second he landed. He weaved right, then left and then ducked to dodge her powerful swipes. He then leaped backwards again and formed a rasengan. He had zero intention of using it on her, but Sakura and their audience didn't need to know that.

Seeing one of his more powerful attacks didn't phase Sakura in the slightest. She stomped on the ground again, creating a rift in the earth where he was standing. The surprise of uneven ground was all the distraction Sakura needed to close the distance and get to him. If he were in this spar to win, he would've used his speed to flicker behind her, hit her with the rasengan in his hand and end the fight now. But he wasn't here to beat Sakura. He was here to get handily _beaten_ by Sakura.

He made a show of being surprised at her sudden appearance and "tried" to hit her with the rasengan in hand. She grabbed his wrist and yanked it upwards. The sudden movement was enough to mess with his concentration and his rasengan dissipated. The motion also caused his feet to leave the ground and go flying up into the air. Had she let go, Naruto probably would've been thrown all the way to Suna. Unfortunately, Sakura never let go of his wrist. She tugged down hard, slamming Naruto against the ground like he were some sort of club. She lifted him from the ground and repeated the motion, not once, not twice, but three times. Naruto's entire body was wracked with pain by the third time she smashed him against the ground… but that was what happened whenever sparring with Sakura.

Finally letting go of his wrist, Sakura stomped down hard on his chest, driving him down further into the ground in a cloud of dust and destroyed earth. Now Naruto was in pretty bad shape. His body was really not happy with his decision to not dodge blows that he could have dodged. But he couldn't end the spar yet. Sakura probably impressed Sasuke with her strength already, but he needed to see that this wasn't just a quick burst. He needed to be reminded that Sakura could fight all day if she had to.

The only problem now was, Sakura wouldn't keep this up for long. Not because she _couldn't_, but because she _wouldn't_ once she noticed the state his body was in. With the dust acting as his cover, Naruto cast a quick henge over himself to mask his injuries. Sakura's foot was still resting on his chest from the stomp, so Naruto grabbed her ankle and flung her down. He didn't want to… but if Sakura beat him without him so much as landing a blow, Sasuke might get suspicious.

He leaped out of the crater that had formed from Sakura's attack and ignored the way his lungs seemed to burn in pain with each breath he took. He could feel Kurama hard at work repairing the damage done to his body, but Kurama wasn't a medic.

"Still want to continue, eh Naruto?" Sakura calmly asked. She picked herself up and looked carefully at him. Her face was fairly impassive, but he could easily spot the concern on her face. She was worried that she got too carried away.

"Hell yeah! We're just getting started!"

"After we're finished, no complaining about how much I kicked your ass. I offered you an early out." Sakura grinned. Apparently his response was enough to wipe her concern away.

"I just forgot how fast you are, that's all." Naruto lied. He suddenly used a burst of speed to flicker directly in front of her. He launch a strike at her midsection, but slowed it down just enough that he knew she would be able to barely dodge. As he expected, she twisted her right to narrowly avoid his attack. She caught him in the gut with a quick knee on the counterattack.

Naruto mentally thanked Jiraiya for teaching him how to maintain a henge even after getting attacked, because his henge thankfully remained in place. He hit Sakura in the shoulder with an open palm to send her skidding backwards and did his best to ignore the pain from Sakura's latest blow.

He took a deep breath and willed his mind to ignore the pain his body was in. He needed to keep this going long enough for Sasuke to be really be impressed by Sakura's strength. He needed to keep this up long enough for Sasuke to understand that Sakura was more than strong enough to be the eventual wife he was looking for…

And so their spar continued. Naruto landed just enough attacks on Sakura to keep anyone from getting suspicious of his true intent for this spar. And in the process, his body was becoming seriously brutalized. He was pretty sure he had some broken bones… broken ribs at the least judging by the pain that came each time he took a breath… His henge dropped a couple of times, but Naruto always used the cloud of dust raised from Sakura's attacks to reapply it.

They had been sparring for 20 minutes when Sakura suddenly stopped and looked at him closely. The look on her face froze Naruto in his tracks. She had _that_ look on her face. The look she got when she was examining a patient, trying to find the small hint that would alert her to what was wrong… He nervously gulped as her eyes widened in alarm.

"Are you henged?!"

"Ermm… eh…"

"He is." Sasuke confirmed, his sharingan flaring to life.

"I uh… forgot to wear clothes today. Yeah! So I just used a henge instead of going back home…" Naruto awkwardly lied.

"Drop it." Sakura commanded.

"Eh? I don't want you seeing me naked!"

"Naruto…" Sakura growled.

Before Naruto could offer another lie, Sasuke had flickered to him. He tried to move, but his friend was too quick. Sasuke's hand landed on Naruto's shoulder and a jolt of chakra dispersed his henge – revealing the terrible shape his body was actually in.

"SHIT!" Sakura swore. "Naruto you moron!" She ran over to him in a panic and quickly placed her glowing green hands against his body. Her soothing chakra felt amazing and he _almost_ leaned into her touch. He simply closed his eyes instead.

"Why the hell would you henge yourself not too look beat up?!" Sakura scolded as she healed him. "Jeez, if I would've seen what shape you were in I would've stopped a long time ago! You freaking idiot!"

"I knew you would stop, so I henged myself to give me the time I needed to win. I thought I could outlast you, but your endurance is better than I remembered." Naruto explained.

"That's the most idiotic thing I have ever heard! If I could figure out how to kill you _without_ actually killing you… I would kill you so many times right now!"

"That's what you get for underestimating her." Sasuke said.

"Yeah… I guess it's easy sometimes to forget how strong you are, Sakura. Now that you're spending most of your time in the hospital."

"You really forgot?" Sakura asked. The look on her face made it quite clear that she didn't believe him at all.

"You know me… I don't exactly have the best memory." Naruto replied with a sheepish smile. "Sorry that you didn't get to spar, Sasuke. Looks like Sakura's plan was better. We should've just done a three way spar or something."

"Watching you get your ass kicked because you consistently underestimated Sakura's speed was actually pretty amusing." Sasuke smirked. "It's a good thing hokages aren't heavily relied on to fight in the field, because your fighting instincts are clearly dulling with age."

"Dulling with age? I'm only 21!"

"Just imagine how bad they're going to be by the time you hit 30. You're going to need to have an ANBU guard stationed by you 24/7." Sasuke teased.

"I am not! Sakura's just really good!"

"I know that." Sasuke said, rolling his eyes. "Without her strength, we never would have survived Kagura. "But _you_ used to have better instincts. _You_ used to be able to dodge a lot of strikes you took."

"He did." Sakura confirmed. "Sasuke… it's going to take me a while to get him back to 100 percent. Do you mind going and putting us in for a table at Chouji's deli? By the time we're actually ready to be seated, we should be there."

"Sure. See you in an hour or so then."

As soon as Sasuke was out of ear shot, Sakura glared angrily at Naruto.

"Don't you _ever_ do that again. Do you understand me?"

"I won't…"

"I don't care what you think you're doing it for, and what you think I hope will happen… but I want you to understand one thing very clearly. _You_ are extremely important to me. There is nothing in this world that I want badly enough to warrant seriously hurting you. Do you understand me? _Nothing_. I'm curious what your game is with this bet… That's why I took it. But I will not allow you to do anything that puts you in harm's way to win."

"I… got it. Sorry…" Naruto apologized. He certainly didn't expect Sakura to legitimately get upset at him over this plan. Nor did he fully understand just how much she valued him. He knew he was important to her, but given the choice between him and Sasuke, he was convinced she would choose Sasuke every time.

"It's not ok. If I had done something to you that I couldn't heal…" Sakura shivered at the thought. "I… I would not be able to live with myself."

"I wouldn't have let anything go that far…"

"I somehow doubt that…" Neither said anything for the next 10 minutes as Sakura continued her work. Finally, Sakura withdrew her hands.

"There. You're going to be sore for a while, but you no longer have any broken bones or have to worry about one or more of your organs shutting down from blunt trauma. Now come on, let's go to lunch."

Naruto simply nodded and followed after her. Even though he made Sakura mad, one thing was certain: Sasuke certainly recognized her strength and prowess. That was good. So now Sasuke knew that they could get a long, and that she had the strength he was looking for in a partner. All that was left to do now was poke and prod until Sasuke asked her out. Although… he was getting ahead of himself. That was _tomorrow's_ daily goal. Once he got home, he would mark off today's daily goal as a success, despite everything.

* * *

Fin! Hope you enjoyed, please do review! -ND


	3. Tuesday - Securing the Date

Onto chapter 3! This one is the shortest of the bunch.

Please do enjoy, _The Bet Chapter 3: Tuesday - Securing the Date_

* * *

"Is this really what you want to talk about?" Sasuke asked in a slightly grumpy tone. "Not only are you up early enough to get breakfast, you pounded on my door until I agreed to go with you. This is a rare occurrence. And this is what you got me out to talk about?"

Naruto grinned at his slightly irritated friend. Today's daily goal was to get Sasuke to ask Sakura out on a date, and he decided not to waste any time. He actually set his alarm last night so he could wake up early. This way, they could scheme and come up with the best possible way for Sasuke to ask Sakura out. It would be like a scene straight out of her daydreams after the two of them were finished scheming!

"We can talk about anything else… _after_ you promise me you're going to ask Sakura out that is."

Naruto stared calmly at Sasuke as the man carefully examined him. Naruto could tell by the look on his face that Sasuke was trying to figure out how to say something. But there was only one thing Naruto would accept from his friend.

"Screw it… I'm just going to be blunt. Why do you want me to ask Sakura out? Don't you like her?"

"Me? Like Sakura?!" Naruto nervously laughed. "I mean… you know. I sorta… _had_ a crush of sorts on her…"

"Sorta? You've been crazy about her for as long as I've known you. Hell, sometimes you follow after her like some sort of lovesick puppy."

"Ok… so maybe I _was_ in love with her at one point…"

"Or maybe you still are. It doesn't take a brilliant scholar to see."

"I'm… Fine. I may or may still be in love with Sakura, but that shouldn't stop you from getting together with her!"

"The fact that my best friend is in love with a girl _shouldn't_ stop me from getting together with her? I've done a lot of terrible things in my life, Naruto, but even I wouldn't do that."

"But she loves you!" Naruto blurted out. He sighed. Sasuke obviously wasn't going to drop this, so he should just come clean at his true motives. "She… look, she just doesn't love me like that. That's just how the story of Sakura and me goes. And it's not my first choice, but I have to respect her decision, and I _do_ respect her decision."

"So… you want to live vicariously through me?" Sasuke asked. "That seems pretty messed up."

"NO! Nothing like that. I want to move on. It's not healthy for me to be this hung up on Sakura. She clearly isn't destined to be my one, but if I'm hung up on her, I'm not going to notice the girl who actually _is_ meant for me. Right now, she's single. So _technically_ that makes her obtainable. Even though I know she isn't, my heart still won't let me move on."

"So you want me to take her off the market."

"Yes! But not just for me. You two are meant to be together – you always have been. She has given you her unwavering support from day one. Her heart has been set on you for so long, and you guys really get along well together."

"I get along well with you. You've given me your unwavering support. Does that mean I should date you?"

"WHAT?! NO!"

"Exactly. There's more to it than just one-way dedication."

"But she's perfect for you! She's everything you're looking for! She's beautiful, she's brilliant, she's powerful, she's courageous…"

"She is everything I'm looking for in my eventual wife." Sasuke agreed.

"So why don't you ask her out? You won't be hurting me if you do; you'll be doing me a favor! You both are my best friends. I know both of you _extremely_ well. Trust me when I say you two would be great together."

"This is officially the weirdest breakfast conversation I've ever had. Fine. I'll ask her out. Happy?"

"Yep!" Naruto grinned. He mentally patted himself on the back. Knocking a daily goal out of the way before 10 a.m. That was a new personal record! He repressed the sick feeling in stomach that came with knowing that the love of his life was about to be asked on the date she had been waiting her life for.

* * *

Naruto sat in the branch of a tree hidden from plain view. Below him, Sasuke was waiting for Sakura. She always took this path to her favorite lunch spot during her hospital lunch break. She should be by any second now.

After failing to convince Sasuke to let Naruto help him scheme the best way to ask Sakura out, Naruto was actually kind of nervous. Sasuke had a lot of strengths, but Naruto wasn't so sure being romantic was not one of them. What if he messed it up?

"Psst, Sasuke. Maybe you should let me help you come up with…"

"I don't need you to help me ask a girl out, idiot." Sasuke sighed. "And when you're trying to be hidden, the first thing you should do is be quiet."

Naruto wanted to argue, but he saw Sakura walking up the way and then watched Sasuke wave her down. A smile lit up Sakura's face when she saw Sasuke. She made her way over to him beaming from ear to ear.

"Sasuke! What are you doing here?" She greeted once she neared him.

"Waiting for you actually."

"Decided to join me for lunch, eh? Will Naruto be coming as well?" Sakura asked, looking around for Naruto. Luckily, she didn't think to look up in the tree where he was hiding.

"Actually Sakura… I waited here so I could ask you out on a date tonight."

"What?" Sakura looked at Sasuke with a surprised look on her face. "Like… a date date? Or a friend date?"

"Date date." Sasuke confirmed. "Just you and me."

"_You_ want to go on a date with _me_?"

"Is that really hard to believe?"

"I guess not. Just… unexpected."

"So… do you want to go out tonight?"

"Thanks but no thanks."

Naruto's eyes widened. Did she just say no to Sasuke?

"No thanks?" Sasuke dumbly parroted back. He clearly wasn't expecting that reply either. Naruto wagered this was probably the first time a woman had ever said no to him. Still… Sakura wanted this. He knew she did. He could just _tell_ she did. Her face lit up when she saw Sasuke. All Sasuke had to do was recover and everything would be fine.

"No thanks." Sakura confirmed. "But you're welcome to join me for a friendly lunch since you came all this way."

"Well… sure. I'll do that." Sasuke replied.

Naruto slapped his head. The great Sasuke Uchiha, beloved by women everywhere, was apparently awful at recovering after an initial rejection. Looked like he needed to step in…

"Oh come on!" He yelled, jumping out of the tree. "That's your move? I told you should've let me help you ask her out."

"Naruto?" Sakura quirked an eyebrow at him. "What were you doing hiding in a tree?"

"Watching to make sure he didn't screw it up. I know that was probably not how you dreamed of him asking you out, but he's really asking you out here, Sakura."

Sakura studied him carefully with a thoughtful look on her face. She clearly didn't know what to make of the situation.

"So you're vouching for him? You're saying I should go on a date with Sasuke?"

"Of course!"

"Interesting… And you." She turned to Sasuke. "You're 100 percent serious? This isn't part of one of his harebrained schemes?"

"Correct." Sasuke confirmed.

Sakura looked at Sasuke, and then back at Naruto before finally shrugging her shoulders. "Fine. Let's do it."

"I'll pick you up at seven tonight then."

"Mmm, not tonight." Sakura hummed. "I already have plans to hang out with Ino. Tomorrow night?"

"Sure."

"Sounds good. Now are you two joining me for lunch? I don't have all day, and I'm hungry."

"Of course! Let's go!" Naruto replied with a smile. The smile was a little forced, considering he just witnessed the start of Sakura and Sasuke's relationship… but he needed this. This was also a start for him as well. He was finally going to be able to move on.

"Well don't just stand there idiots. Let's go!"

* * *

As I said, short chapter. Really, more of a transition to the next one than anything else. But anywho... stay tuned and do leave a review!

(Also, to the people asking, this is indeed a NaruSaku story. I am not a horrible troll!)

-ND


	4. Wednesday - the First Date

Chapter 4! Onwards we go!

Please do enjoy _The Bet Chapter 4: Wednesday - the First Date_

* * *

_**FLASHBACK**_

"_Honestly… I don't need your help planning this." Sasuke groaned as mid afternoon sunlight streamed through the window to his apartment. Naruto decided to make an impromptu visit at his friend's to help Sasuke figure everything out for his date later in the evening. He needed to make sure everything was absolutely perfect for Sakura._

"_Yes you do! You would not have gotten the date yesterday if it weren't for me! You suck at this!"_

"_That was an anomaly. I'm good with women normally."_

"_Sakura isn't just any woman though! She's your one!"_

"_Let's not get ahead of ourselves here…" Sasuke muttered. "We're just going on a date."_

"_The first of many! Trust me, I can help you make sure this is the best date she's ever been on. I know more about Sakura than probably anyone on this earth… I…"_

"_I'm not going to let you help me plan the date." Sasuke said, cutting Naruto off. "I'll be fine on my own."_

"_Your loss. Fine. Do what you want, but take this earpiece for tonight."_

"…_Why are you giving me an earpiece?"_

"_So I can coach you through things! I'll find somewhere inconspicuous to hide!"_

"_You are __**not **__going to be spying on our date tonight."_

"_Spying is such an ugly word…"_

"_Naruto…"_

"_More like… monitoring to make sure everything goes well."_

"_Look… if Sakura likes me as much as you say she does, then I have nothing to worry about. Also… I'm not a complete idiot when it comes to dating. I know what I'm doing. Promise me that you will stay out of this entirely. I don't need you creeping around our date."_

"_But…"_

"_Promise me, Naruto."_

"_Fine!" Naruto huffed. "But if things go badly, I am definitely going to say I told you so."_

"_Noted." Sasuke said with a slight smile. _

_**FLASH IN**_

"So that's what I'm doing here at the bar!" Naruto said with a giant grin on his face. "The woman of my dreams is out with the man of hers. Life is funny like that, huh?"

"I… I just asked if you wanted another drink." The bartender awkwardly replied. "But umm… sorry for your…bad luck?"

"You're a bartender! You're supposed to always ask about your customers' lives! You're like… a free psychiatrist!"

"Kid… it's pretty busy tonight. I don't have time to be sitting here asking for everyone's stories. If I did that, I'd have a lot of customers complaining about not getting service. Now do you want another drink or not?"

"Yes please. Another bottle of sake." Naruto replied.

"Naruto Uzumaki getting drunk at a bar on a Wednesday night... You really gotta stop letting Tsunade's personal habits rub off on you!"

Naruto looked over his shoulder and offered the owner of the voice a smile.

"Hey, Ino! I'm not getting drunk. I've only had _one_ bottle so far. What are you doing here?"

"I hung out with Sakura last night. Found out about her date with Sasuke tonight, so I figured I would be able to find you here."

"It's not like I'm here because they're starting their lives together or anything…" Naruto mumbled.

"Starting their lives together? Naruto, they're going on one date."

"First of many!"

"So... care to tell me why you're trying to get Sakura, the girl you're in love with, together with Sasuke?"

"Who said anything about love…" Naruto mumbled.

"You just did…like 20 seconds ago." The bartender pointed out. "Remember? Back when I asked you if you wanted another drink?"

"So now you're available to talk…" Naruto grumbled.

"Naruto… it isn't exactly a secret. I think every single person in all of the elemental nations knows you're in love with Sakura. So talk. What's your angle here?"

"No angle. I just… A leader doesn't let the past hold him back. A leader keeps moving forward. A leader sets achievable goals and reaches them."

"Ok…"

"I'm going to be a leader, Ino. I'm going to be a great leader. And if I'm going to be successful, if I'm going to have the happiness and life I want, then I can't be stuck in the past. I can't keep hoping for something that will never happen. But as long as Sakura is single…"

"You'll never be able to get over her. So you want her to get together with Sasuke so you can move on?"

"Bingo. Once she's officially unobtainable I can finally move forward."

"You moron." Ino sighed. "Playing matchmaker for the girl you have feelings for will not end well for you!"

"I'm doing pretty well so far!" Naruto retorted. "And promise me that you won't tell Sakura any of this. She doesn't need to know my true motives."

"Oh come on! This is juicy information. You cannot expect me to keep it a secret."

"It's not exactly a secret, lady. We're pretty busy tonight." The bartender interjected.

"I liked you more when you were ignoring me…" Naruto groaned. "Just promise me, Ino."

"Fine." Ino huffed. "But you owe me big time for keeping this big of a secret. Sakura will be pissed at me if she finds out I know about your idiotic scheme."

"Luckily she won't find out. She's going to be distracted by her new relationship with Sasuke."

"You really believe that, don't you? Well… I have to be up early for work tomorrow. Are you going to be ok?"

"I'm perfectly fine. Thank you for checking in on me though." Naruto said, flashing Ino a real smile.

"That's what friends are for! Try to remember that it's a weekday, and don't drink too much sake. Good night!"

"I'll be good." Naruto promised. Ino exited the bar, leaving Naruto alone with his sake again. He sat in silence, sipping on sake and thinking about the date between his other two teammates for a while. He became so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't even notice when a woman sat down at the seat next to his. Nor did he hear her call his name. He didn't become aware of her until she placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him.

He blinked in surprise and looked over to see who it was and the breath instantly left his body. It was Sakura, and she looked _amazing_. She was wearing just enough makeup to accentuate her features, a beautiful black top that showed a modest amount of cleavage and ruby red lipstick that drew his eyes straight to her lips.

"Sakura? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on a date right now?" Naruto asked once he recollected himself enough to function again.

"It's 10:30. We finished dinner about an hour and a half ago." Sakura replied. "Ino sent me a message that you were here, so I figured I'd stop by."

"That was nice of you… But why aren't you still on your date? Was Sasuke an ass? I told him to…"

"The date was fun." Sakura said with an amused look on her face. "Sasuke was a perfect gentlemen, and we both had a great time. We spent a couple of hours together and Sasuke asked me out again for tomorrow. I said yes, because I think that's what you would want me to say, right?"

"Of course! I want you to be happy, Sakura."

"I know you do. You show it in very strange ways sometimes… but I'm grateful to have someone in my life like you."

"The feeling is mutual. You're the best friend with pink hair a guy could ask for!" Naruto added the last part jokingly.

"So what brings you to a bar on a Wednesday night?"

"I just felt like getting some drinks." Naruto said, purposefully withholding the reason as to _why_ he felt like drinking tonight. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the bartender about to open his mouth. But Naruto quieted the man with a quick glare. He was not going to let some bartender be the one to blab about his master plan to Sakura.

"So… what do you think?"

"What do I think about what, Sakura?"

"About me. Do I like pretty tonight? Did I overdo it for a date with Sasuke? Should I not have gotten this dressed up?"

"You look like a walking goddess." Naruto replied without thinking. A slight tinge of pink shaded Sakura's cheeks at his compliment. "I mean… uhh… you look great tonight, Sakura. I mean… you always look great. You're really pretty. But you look extra pretty tonight."

"You're a dork." Sakura giggled. "Well thank you. I'm glad you think so. But you didn't answer the second part of my question… should I have gotten this dressed up for the date with Sasuke? Would you rather I just show up to tomorrow's date in my regular outfit?"

"No! You're doing exactly what you're supposed to do on a date! You probably knocked his socks off tonight."

"Ok… you're certain?"

"Of course I am!"

"Fine." Sakura hummed. "So… four days down. Still feeling confident about our bet?"

"Uh… look at you. I'm not just confident, I'm extremely confident. No way Sasuke can resist you after you showed up to your date tonight like that."

"Right right." Sakura replied. "Well… if you're so confident, why don't we move the timeline up and raise the stakes a little?"

"What? The stakes are already high. And it's already a fast timeline!"

"Let's say the bet ends this Friday instead of Sunday. That gives you a few more days."

"That only gives me Thursday and Friday! I have until Sunday right now."

"And you are convinced that Sasuke and I are going to end up together after our first date went so well."

"You are!"

"Well… then I don't see why you have any complaints about the shorter timeframe. That means you just win the bet sooner." Sakura countered.

"Friday… fine. And what are the raised stakes?"

"If you win, I won't just set you up on a date… I will find you a girlfriend. If I win, you have to do whatever I say for two months."

"TWO MONTHS?!"

"Again… you say you've got this bet in the bag. Why do you care what I get if I win, when you clearly know that's not going to happen?"

"Fine… But she can't be ugly."

Sakura smiled at him, and for the briefest of seconds, Naruto could have sworn he saw some sort of victorious glint in her eye.

"I would never. Don't worry, I'll make sure to set you up with your dream girl... if I lose."

"_When_ you lose." Naruto corrected.

"Oh right, sorry. _When_ I lose." Sakura said, rolling her eyes. She noticed Naruto was done with his bottle of sake, and grabbed his hand when he went to flag the bartender down for another.

"It's a weekday and it's late. You don't need to be out here drinking all night. Walk me home?"

"Sure thing."

"Hey, you – he's leaving. Here's money for his tab. That should be enough, ya?" Sakura asked, putting down some money on the bar top.

"You don't need to pay for my drinks! I can…"

"I know I don't need to. But I decided to do it anyways. Consider it a thank you for making this bet with me. Now come on, let's go."

"Thank you, Sakura."

"You're welcome." Sakura flashed him a smile. She hooked her arm around his and began leading the way to her apartment.

"Not that I'm complaining… but why are we walking arm in arm?" Naruto asked.

"Because you had a few drinks, and I want to steady you."

"I'm fine! I only had two little bottles. I'm barely buzzed."

"I don't care. This isn't up for debate so you better just enjoy it, buddy."

"I will remind you that I said I'm _not_ complaining."

"Good. I'd hate to have to wallop you again after what you tricked me into doing yesterday. How are you feeling today by the way?"

"Fine – just a little sore."

"A little?"

"…very sore."

"I would take care of that for you, but consider being sore your punishment for being a moron."

"I wouldn't say I was a moron…"

"I would. Sasuke would. Anyone else but you would. Believe me, you were a moron." Sakura sighed. "I still don't understand what you were trying to accomplish either. Care to share? I was too mad at you yesterday to try to figure it out."

"I just wanted Sasuke to see how strong you are. You know that's one of the attributes he's looking for in a woman is power."

"So you think letting me kick your ass was an accurate way of showing Sasuke my power?"

"Well… he didn't necessarily know I was letting you… He thought I was just missing a step."

"I highly doubt that. It was pretty damn obvious. I kept waiting for you to take me seriously. Do you really think that was the only way you could show off my strength by the way? Do you really not think I could hang with you in a real spar?"

"You could _hang_ with me… but you probably couldn't win. I'm a bad matchup for you, Sakura."

"Your goal was just to show my strength. You don't think me putting up a fight against you, who happens to be one of the most powerful men in the world, would have been a good display?"

"Then you would've gotten hurt though…"

"So instead of me getting beat up a normal amount in a spar, which is just part of the shinobi life, you let yourself get beaten until you had broken ribs and several other broken bones… I sometimes wonder if you really think I can take care of myself."

"I know you can! You're super strong! It's just… if I have to make a decision between you and me, I'm going to choose you every time. Besides, you don't want to be sore when you're going out on dates with Sasuke! You want to be able to fully enjoy yourself."

"I guess… I will still make your life hell if you ever do that again though. _That's_ a promise from me to you."

"I already agreed not too!" Naruto nervously replied.

"I know you did. And that's why you're still breathing normally."

"I get the message loud and clear, Sakura. I really do!"

"Good." Sakura smiled at him. They walked along without saying a word for about a minute before Sakura broke the silence again.

"Naruto… can I tell you something?"

"Of course. You can always tell me anything, Sakura. You know that."

"True. I'm just… I'm _really_ looking forward to our bet being done on Friday now."

"Can't wait to get your boyfriend, eh?" Naruto replied with a cheesy grin.

"No…" Sakura replied, smiling at him softly. "I really can't. This wait has been interesting, but it's only really reminded me that I've waited too long."

"I know. You've been waiting since you were a little girl. But don't worry Sakura, the wait is almost over. I promise you that you and Sasuke are going to be together."

"You truly believe that… don't you?"

"Of course! You two are destined for each other. I know that. I know that he's the only guy you'll ever love."

"You're more certain of that than I am." Sakura replied.

"I know, with 100 percent confidence, that the two of you are going to get together. There isn't a single doubt in my mind."

"I guess, from your perspective, I could see how you would think that." Sakura relented. "I did lure you into that promise when we were kids…"

"Lure me? You didn't lure me!"

"Oh please. I knew you had a crush on me and I went rushing to you bawling my eyes out. I didn't really think about it at the time, but I think that deep down, I knew you wouldn't be able to say no to me if I was crying."

"With or without that promise, I would've gone through all of that to get Sasuke back. You were just the motivation I needed to really train hard and become powerful." Naruto countered.

"You're an interesting person, Naruto. You almost always focus on the most positive interpretation of everything. You're pretty optimistic." Sakura hummed.

"Almost always?"

"Almost always." Sakura confirmed. "But don't feel bad about that. No one is perfect."

"What am I not optimistic about?"

"That's for you to figure out." Sakura retorted, sticking her tongue out at him.

"No way! I'm optimistic about everything! Tell me!"

"Oh look, we're at my apartment." Sakura grinned. "Looks like this is where we say goodbye for the night."

"No! You have to tell me!"

Sakura suddenly wrapped Naruto in a warm hug.

"You'll figure it out soon enough… either on your own or having it thrown in your face. I promise." Sakura quietly murmured in his ear. Her voice caused shivers to run down his spine. She released him from the hug and flashed him one more smile.

"Thanks for walking me home, Naruto. See you tomorrow!"

And with that, Sakura left Naruto standing there, outside her door, completely dumbfounded.

* * *

Another chapter down - two more left! Thanks for reading, and please do leave a review! Until next time. -ND


	5. Thursday - the Second Date

Annnd here we are at the longest chapter of the series. This one is actually close to the length of one of my regular chapters. Onwards!

Please do enjoy _The Bet Chapter 5: Thursday - The Second Date_

* * *

The next afternoon, sunlight was streaming through the windows of the Yamanka flower shop where Naruto was sitting on the store counter that was being manned by Ino…who was visibly annoyed.

"Seriously… I can't think of anything I'm not optimistic about!" Naruto said.

"I see that… you have been in here for an hour saying _everything_ you _are_ optimistic about…" Ino groaned. "I now know more about you than I ever would've wanted to know… I know more about you than anyone ever needs to know about you…"

"But Sakura said there's something I'm not optimistic about!" Naruto replied. "And clearly, as you now know, I'm optimistic about everything! Optimism is a trait of a good leader!"

"Why did you come to me about this again?" Ino sighed.

"Sasuke should be busy right now planning a perfect date for Sakura. And you know Sakura extremely well… so maybe she's talked to you about what I'm not optimistic about."

"You think we just sit around and talk about things you are and are not optimistic about?" Ino asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well…uh…"

"Do you sit around with Sasuke talking about things Sakura is and is not optimistic about?"

"Well… not exactly. But…"

"What do you think girls talk about?"

"Uh…girl things?"

Ino smacked her forehead. "If I were Sakura, there is no way I would associate with such an idiot."

"But…you're my friend and you associate with me." Naruto countered.

"Ok, Naruto. Here's the deal – yes, there is something _blatantly_ obvious that you are not optimistic about. Only a complete moron couldn't figure out what Sakura was referring to last night."

"Well I must be a complete moron then, because I can't figure it out!"

"You are." Ino smirked. "You really are."

"So what is it? Tell me!"

"There is no way I'm going to be the one who tells you." Ino scoffed. "Figure it out."

"I can't! I can't think of anything that I'm not optimistic about!"

"It was weird that Sakura searched you out after her date last night." Ino pointed out, deciding to throw Naruto a bone.

"Yeah, it kind of was. Why did you send her a message telling her I was at the bar by the way?"

"Just seemed like the right thing to do." Ino hummed. "So… why do you think Sakura looked for you after her date?"

"I guess she didn't feel like going home yet?" Naruto asked. "Why are you asking about Sakura right now? You're supposed to be trying to help me figure out what I'm not optimistic about!"

"Moron…" Ino sighed. "You're on your own, Naruto."

"Oh come on! Just tell me!" Naruto whined.

"It's really not hard to figure out."

"But…"

"Annnd you just lost your privilege of sitting around here annoying me. You can stay _only_ if you don't ask me to tell you what you're not optimistic about. If you can't do that, then you need to go. You're probably scaring off potential customers anyways."

"If you would just… OW!" Naruto yelped in surprise as Ino shoved him off the counter.

"I warned you. Time to leave, Naruto."

"You're my friend! Friends help each other!" Naruto protested.

"Get!" Ino said, shooing Naruto with her hands.

"All you need to do…"

"Naruto, if you don't leave this second, I'm going to go find Sakura and tell her I caught you using the sexy jutsu around some boys from the academy."

"WHAT?! SHE WOULD MURDER ME FOR CORRUPTING KONOHA'S YOUTH!" Naruto screamed. "I…think she actually _would_ kill me! For real!"

"Well then you better get the hell out of here if you don't want to die then." Ino replied with a victorious smirk.

"You're mean…" Naruto whined.

"I think I'm also going to tell Sakura you were teaching the students how to do the jutsu and encouraging them to use it as often as possible."

"I'm going I'm going!" Naruto yelped. He quickly ran out of the shop with Ino's laughter at his back.

He didn't really have anywhere to be at the moment, so he just wandered aimlessly. That threat by Ino was needlessly extreme. Just thinking about how angry Sakura would be at him if Ino delivered that lie was enough to make him shiver in true fear.

He really wished Ino would have helped him out. In _Moving Forward and Finding Happiness_, there was an entire chapter devoted to the importance of optimism in leading a happy and fulfilling life. If he was going to be the best hokage ever, he needed to be completely optimistic. Simply having something he wasn't optimistic about just wasn't an option.

He let out a frustrated sigh as he continued wandering. He had been obsessing over Sakura's words ever since she said them last night. He stayed up until 2 in the morning trying to figure out what he wasn't optimistic about. It didn't help that it was all he had to think about. Sasuke took care of his daily goal for the today last night by asking Sakura out again during their first date.

"This is crap…" He groaned out loud to no one in particular. "Why won't anyone help me…"

"Probably because you are an extremely troublesome person." A new voice called. Naruto glanced up to see Shikamaru lazily sitting on a roof smirking down at him.

"You think everything is troublesome!" Naruto countered.

"I don't think… I know." Shikamaru replied. "I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what do you need help with?"

Naruto blinked up in surprise at Shikamaru. "Are you… actually offering to go out of your way to help me?!"

"I didn't say anything about helping. I was just asking a question." Shikamaru quickly clarified.

"I'm extremely optimistic, right?"

"For most things." Shikamaru hummed.

"_Most_ things?! So you know what I'm not optimistic about!"

"Duh. Everyone does." Shikamaru replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Everyone does not! I have no idea what it could possibly be!"

"Seriously?" Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow. "Have you thought about it… at all?"

"I've been trying to figure it out ever since Sakura told me there was something I'm not optimistic about last night!"

"Sakura, eh?" Shikamaru tapped his chin in thought. "Yup. In that case, I'm staying out of this."

"WHAAAT?! Come on!"

"It's not worth the trouble."

"It is too! I'm going to be hokage! Don't you want your leader to know his weaknesses?"

"If Sakura pointed it out, I'm sure she'll let you in on the 'secret' eventually." Shikamaru replied dismissively. "I'm not going to risk telling you and drawing her wrath."

"Her wrath? Why would she be mad at you?"

"Obviously she's hoping you'll figure it out on your own. But knowing her, she has a backup plan ready if you don't."

"You suck." Naruto sighed. "I, a friend, am asking you for help, and you're just sitting there doing nothing. I'd help you if you were in my situation you know!"

"I highly doubt there's something you can figure out that I can't." Shikamaru smirked.

"This is crap…" Naruto sighed. "Thanks for nothing, Shikamaru."

"Anytime." Shikamaru replied, earning an annoyed glare. Naruto shook his head before walking away from his lazy friend. He continued walking aimlessly with an annoyed scowl on his face. Turning a corner, Naruto spotted one of the few people in Konoha who would be absolutely no help to him – Sai. If he couldn't figure it out, then socially inept Sai surely couldn't. He wanted to keep wandering until he ran into someone who could help, but Sai was his teammate and friend. It would be rude if he didn't greet him…

Sai was painting a storefront as Naruto approached.

"You seem annoyed." Sai noted without turning to look at him. Instead, the artist kept his gaze focused on the subject of his painting.

"You could say that… Our friends are a very unhelpful bunch…" Naruto grumbled. "What are you doing?"

"The owner of this shop commissioned me to paint his storefront. He's going to open a new branch, and he wants a painting of his original shop in every store so he and his employees never forget where it all started."

"That's kind of cool actually." Naruto said, a slight smile breaking the scowl that had become etched on his face following his fruitless conversation with Shikamaru.

"I agree." Sai said, offering Naruto one of his eerie smiles. "So what has you so annoyed?"

"Sakura pointed out there was something that I'm not optimistic about last night, and I can't figure out what it could possibly be. I've asked Ino and Shikamaru, and both said they knew exactly what Sakura was talking about, but they wouldn't tell me!"

"Ah Sakura. I ran into her yesterday. She said you were trying to get her together with Sasuke. I was surprised to hear that, given your feelings for her and all."

"You know as well as I do that she will never return my feelings. Her heart will always be set on Sasuke." Naruto replied. "If I get them together, I can finally move on."

"Is that so?" Sai asked. "That's what you believe?"

"That's what I know! But everything is going according to plan on that front. She had a great date with Sasuke last night, and they're going out again tonight. They'll be an item by this time tomorrow. _That_ is something I don't need to figure out. I need to figure out what it is I'm not optimistic about."

"It's pretty obvious." Sai replied. "Everyone in the village, except you apparently, can see it."

"What? Even you know?!" Naruto gasped in surprise. "What the hell!"

"A blind, deaf and mute person could figure it out, because it's so obvious, it doesn't require any of the senses to see." Sai replied.

"Well what is it?"

"You honestly don't know?" Sai asked. He stopped painting momentarily and turned to look at Naruto with a surprised look on his face. "You couldn't truly be that clueless, could you?"

"I'm not clueless! Now tell me what it is!"

"Hmm… no." Sai returned his attention to his painting and resumed his work.

"NO?! We're teammates! You are more obligated to help me than anyone else in this village!"

"I already tried helping you." Sai countered.

"You did not! All you did was talk about your job and then ask me about Sakura and Sasuke!"

"You really aren't smart, are you?" Sai said, flashing that same eerily fake smile.

"I hate this village…" Naruto sighed.

"Oh? That's a new development." Someone called from over his shoulder. Naruto glanced behind him to see Kakashi looking at him, the crinkle in his mask made it apparent the man was smiling. His hokage hat was perched awkwardly on his head.

"I don't have a problem, do I? It would be quite a blow to this village to suddenly have you become an enemy."

"It was an exaggeration Kakashi-sensei." Naruto groaned. "And what are you doing out and about right now? Shouldn't you be in the office working?"

"I am." Kakashi replied. "Well, my shadow clone is anyways. But Shizune doesn't know that."

"Shadow clones… That's not a bad idea…" Naruto scratched his chin in thought. "I would never have to do paper work!"

"Shhh… not so loud." Kakashi quickly replied. "If the wrong people heard that, I would be screwed now, and you'd be screwed when you become hokage!"

"How can you be screwed if you're the most powerful person in the village?" Naruto countered.

"Have you seen Shizune when she's angry? And what do you think Sakura's reaction would be if she found out you were using shadow clone's to skip out on work?"

"…I see your point." Naruto conceded.

"Now what is it that has you 'hating the village' as you put it?"

"No one here will help me." Naruto whined.

"Oh? Well, although I'm hokage, I still consider myself your teacher. What do you need help with?"

"FINALLY! Kakashi-sensei to the rescue!" Naruto grinned. "Ok… so last night, Sakura said I was optimistic about _almost_ everything. And I can't figure out what it is I'm _not_ optimistic about?"

"And? Why do you care?" Kakashi asked.

"Tsunade has me reading books on being successful and moving forward in life. And one of the key points is that all great leaders are optimistic. I'm going to be the _best_ leader, so there can't be anything I'm not optimistic about!"

"So when Tsunade suggests you read a book, you're all for it. When I suggest you read, you call me a pervert."

"Because Tsunade said the books she suggested would help make me a better hokage! The books you suggested are just smut." Naruto replied.

"Now that's simply not true." Kakashi chided. "They have a very good plot. Really, if anything, the sex is just…"

"You said you were going to help me!" Naruto groaned, cutting Kakashi off. "Trying to get me to read smut is not helping me figure out what I'm not optimistic about…"

"You really can't figure it out?" Kakashi asked. "It's so obvious…"

"WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP SAYING THAT?!" Naruto yelled in frustration. "It is not obvious."

"I already tried telling him that, Kakashi." Sai calmly interjected. "He's pretty blockheaded."

"I am not blockheaded! You know what, I bet this is all a prank everyone is playing on me. Sakura was just trying to get me riled up…" Naruto reasoned.

"It's not a prank… but if Sakura specifically pointed it out to you, I'm not going to get involved."

"WHAT? You said you were going to help me!"

"I said no such thing. I simply asked what you needed help with." Kakashi pointed out. "Besides, I have faith in you, Naruto. You can figure it out." He added with a quick smile.

"I don't have faith in you." Sai said. "You're kind of dumb."

"I hate you Sai…" Naruto sighed. "And I'm not a big fan of you either right now Kakashi-sensei."

"You don't hate us." Kakashi chuckled. "Anyways, I need to keep moving. If I stay in one spot for too long, people might talk and that talk might reach Shizune. If that happens, the game is up!"

"I'm going to get going to. Surely there has got to be someone in this village who will help me…" Naruto mumbled.

* * *

Many hours later, Naruto was sitting on the rooftop of his apartment complex staring up at the moon. It turns out, there was no one in the village who was willing to help him. Every single person that he talked to seemed to know exactly what he wasn't optimistic about, but upon finding out that Sakura was the one who pointed it out to him, they refused to say a thing.

He sighed in frustration. Just what the hell was he missing? What was so blatantly obvious that everyone in the village but him could see it? Maybe he shouldn't have told everyone that Sakura was the one to point this out to him. Maybe he could have gotten an answer from some unsuspecting villager…

The sound of shoes hitting tile interrupted Naruto's thoughts. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw who it was – Sakura. Just like last night, she managed to take his breath away without physically touching him. She had about the same makeup on as last night and that same ruby red lipstick that drew his eyes to her lips. Tonight, she was wearing a tight, form-fitting kimono that accentuated her every curve. Dangling silver earrings hung from her ears and there was a joyful look in her eyes that just made her all that more alluring.

"I hate heels…" Sakura lightly grumbled. "Makes walking on tiles way harder."

"I…wouldn't know." Naruto managed to get out, much to Sakura's amusement.

"No. I imagine you wouldn't." She hummed, taking a seat by his side.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you have a date with Sasuke again tonight?"

"I did. We already went, and it was a lot of fun." Sakura replied with a happy smile. "He really has adjusted well to village life again. He's actually better than he used to be. I could never picture that Sasuke we knew when we were younger being as fun as he was tonight."

"That's great." Naruto replied, his heart sinking a little.

"It really is!" Sakura grinned. "You and I are going to surpass our teachers in another way – we're going to keep our third teammate here in Konoha."

"Hehe, yeah. Was there ever any doubt?" Naruto asked, smiling lightly.

"I had my doubts… but you never did." Sakura quietly replied.

"So… what time is it if you're out here? I didn't think I was out too late. But it's gotta be past midnight, right?"

"It's only 11." Sakura replied. "I didn't want to stay out with Sasuke all night."

"Smart. Make him work for it." Naruto replied. "At least… I think that's smart? I'm not really good with these sort of things."

"What sort of things?"

"Relationships and stuff."

"Depends on the type of relationship." Sakura chuckled. "You're amazing at forming relationships as long as they aren't romantic ones. Then… well then you're kind of hopeless."

"That's why I need your help!" Naruto shot back. "Once I win our bet, you'll help me get a girlfriend."

"You definitely need me to get a girlfriend." Sakura agreed. "But don't worry, you're not going to be single for much longer. I promise."

"Thanks." Naruto replied. "Looks like neither of us will be single for much longer, eh? End of an era."

"Definitely." Sakura agreed, smiling softly at him. "But it's going to be the start of an amazing new one too."

"Yeah…" Naruto quietly replied, his stomach twisting into knots. This was likely the final night, _in his entire life_, that he and Sakura would each be single. He was sitting in the final moment that there would ever be even the smallest chance of him winning Sakura's heart. He took a deep breath. This was needed. This was the right thing to do. Tomorrow, his love life would finally move forward. Sakura was meant for Sasuke, and he was meant for someone else.

"So you were pretty distracted before I originally came up here. I think I could've snuck up on you if I weren't wearing these stupid heels. What were you so deep in thought about?"

"About what you said last night actually…"

"Oh yeah? What specifically? I said a lot of things last night."

"About there being something I'm not optimistic about… I've been trying to figure it out all day, but I can't. I even asked pretty much every person in this village I could think of, and no one would tell me. They all knew exactly what you were talking about, but when I told them _you_ pointed it out, they refused to tell me."

"It's nice having people fear me." Sakura chuckled. "And you did not seriously spend all day thinking about it…"

"I did! Hell, I was up till late last night trying to figure it out!"

"So with all that thinking… you still couldn't figure it out?"

"No! So tell me!"

"You really are hopeless." Sakura replied, laughing lightly. "I'm not going to tell you yet though. I'll tell you after our bet has been decided."

"Awww come on! I've been thinking about it all day! Just tell me now!"

"Maybe you should stop obsessing over it. You know when you look really hard for something you lost and you find it the second you stop looking? Maybe you'll have similar results here."

"Or… you could just tell me now."

"Nope. My decision is final. So you might as well just forget about it for a while." Sakura replied.

"No one in my own village is willing to help me out." Naruto sighed dramatically. "You'd think people would be lining up to help out the guy that saved the entire world."

"Oh come off it. I'll tell you tomorrow. For now, let's just enjoy this beautiful night." Sakura replied. She scooched closer to Naruto and rested her head on his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Naruto nervously asked. This certainly wasn't the first time Sakura had rested her head on his shoulder, but it was the first time she had when she was dressed like she currently was.

"Well I don't want to rest my head on a hard ceramic tile." Sakura replied. "And besides, end of an era right? Can't think of anyone who I would rather send it out with."

"Well… except Sasuke, right?"

Sakura turned her head to look at him with an amused look on her face. "You'd like if I said yes, wouldn't you? I bet you'd start crowing about having our bet won."

"I already have our bet won." Naruto countered. "Look at how you're dressed tonight. This is the second night in a row that you look like a knockout for Sasuke. Not that uh… you don't always look like a knockout I mean… Err… you get my point?"

"I did dress nice for my dates with Sasuke." Sakura quietly hummed in agreement.

"And you've had a great time every time you've hung out with him this week. And I'm positive that he had fun too."

"You're so thickheaded. Some lucky girl is going to find that both adorable and frustrating at times." Sakura giggled. "But no, Naruto. There is no one in this entire world that I would rather end this era with than you. It just wouldn't feel right any other way." She added in a quieter, more serious tone.

"Thanks. Me too." Naruto quietly replied.

Neither said another word as they sat in pleasant silence staring up at the moon. They sat there for so long that Sakura actually dosed off on Naruto's shoulder. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye to see a big, happy and content smile on her sleeping face. He could tell by the look on her sleeping face that she was happy to be putting this era behind them and starting the next one. But why shouldn't she be? Her life _with_ Sasuke was about to officially start. They'd be boyfriend and girlfriend by this time tomorrow, and the beautiful girl currently sleeping on his shoulder would officially be out of his reach forever.

The selfish part of him didn't want this moment to ever end. He wanted to stay like this forever. Sakura, technically single and available, resting on his shoulder with a content smile on her pretty face... But if this moment lasted forever, then he would never move on. He would never find his true happiness. He again looked up at the moon. He wasn't sure what time it was, but they had definitely been up here longer than an hour, so it had to be past midnight.

He let out a small sigh. It was time to bring this moment to an end. It was time to officially close the door on his pursuit of Sakura Haruno. It was time to finish a chapter that was over ten years in the making. Once he woke Sakura up and she went home, this would never happen again.

"Sakura… Sakura, wake up." He gently prodded. He watched as her eyes slowly drifted open and she let out a yawn. He watched as her eyes found his and a large smile lit up her face. He watched as she sleepily leaned into him. And he felt it as her arms wrapped around him in a warm hug.

"Sorry for falling asleep on you…" She murmured. "Guess I was a little tired."'

"It's alright. It was a good way to end our era."

"Agreed. I can't wait for our bet to be finished tomorrow."

"I hear ya." Naruto replied.

"Well… it's probably pretty late. You tend to let me sleep whenever I fall asleep on you like this. I should probably head home and call it a night."

"Want me to walk you home?"

"Nah, not this time." Sakura said, squeezing him tighter. "We're already at your apartment. It would be a waste."

"I don't mind though!"

"I know you don't. But it's really not needed. Go in and get some sleep." Sakura gave him one last squeeze and leaned into him. To Naruto's shock, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek.

"To starting a new era." She whispered in his ear before disentangling herself and standing up. "Good night, Naruto." With that said, Sakura leaped off, effectively leaving him completely dumbfounded for the second night in a row.

* * *

This section was especially fun to write, because at this point, we as the reader can join the various people Naruto goes to for help in knowing exactly what it is he isn't optimistic about and share in their exasperation =)

Thanks to all the people who have reviewed. Your kind words and speculation are appreciated!

One more chapter to go! Please do review! -ND


	6. Friday - the Girlfriend

Annnd here we are! The concluding chapter of this story. Thanks for sticking with it.

Please do enjoy _The Bet Chapter 6: Friday - the Girlfriend_

* * *

The following afternoon found Naruto impatiently knocking on Sasuke's door. After Sakura left, he was so dumbfounded that he managed to take her advice and not obsess over what it was that he wasn't optimistic about.

But armed with a good night's sleep, he was no longer dumbfounded. Last night was amazing, but he understood it now. Sakura was basically throwing him a bone last night. She was thanking him for his efforts to get her together with her dream guy. She rested her head on his shoulder to reward him for always being there when he needed her. She hugged him tightly to acknowledge that he played an important part in that era of her life. And she kissed him on the cheek, while she still could without any raised eyebrows, as a good bye gift.

It was pretty much the perfect ending. And now that a perfect ending had been written, Naruto was eager to start the next era. He just had a bet to win first. There was one final daily goal to check off.

"Hold your horses!" Sasuke's annoyed voice called from the other side of the door.

"What's taking you so long? Are you an elite ninja or a 95-year-old man?" Naruto griped.

The door swung open and Sasuke glowered at Naruto. "Why am I not surprised… Someone is crazily knocking on my door over and over… of course it's you."

"How was the date last night? And the night before that for that matter!"

"They were both a lot of fun actually." Sasuke replied. "Sakura was great."

"Was there ever any doubt?" Naruto grinned. "So when are you going to ask her to be your girlfriend? Today?"

"Whoah now. We've only been on two dates. And I'm not even really sure if she likes me like that. We had a lot of fun, and she seemed to take it seriously, but it kind of felt like we were just hanging out as friends."

"She was obviously playing hard to get! She likes you! You two are destined for each other!"

"I don't know…"

"Would you like Sakura to be your girlfriend?" Naruto pressed.

"She seems like she would be a fun girlfriend. That doesn't mean I'm in love with her and suddenly going to go and marry her right this second."

"But you would be happy if she was your girlfriend?"

"I guess so."

"Then trust me, you need to go ask her to be your girlfriend right now. She's just playing hard to get. She enjoyed your dates as well."

"It just seems really weird to ask a girl to be your girlfriend after only going out on two dates. And we didn't even kiss or anything…"

"You guys are a special case since you've known each other for so long! Trust me, Sakura wants you to make a move."

"I already made a move – I took her out on two dates."

"That's a start, but it's not a real move! She wants to see that you're really serious. Asking her be your girlfriend would show that you're serious."

"I just don't think…"

"Trust me. If you ask her to be your girlfriend, she will say yes. Go ask her out now."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're going to keep pestering me until I go do it?"

"Because that's exactly what I'm going to do." Naruto grinned. "Now go ask her out!"

"I don't even know where she is…"

"Hang on, I've got a squadron of clones out scouring the city. Let me just dispel them all… she's at the park just off the main market square. She seems to have some sort of package in her hand, but my clone couldn't get close enough to figure out what it is."

"Hhn. I'll be off then." Sasuke started to leave but stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not leaving you alone in my apartment."

"Why not? We're best friends!"

"Because the last time I left you alone in my apartment, you stacked the couches on top of each other, put my TV in my shower and flipped my bed completely over as part of some stupid prank." Sasuke deadpanned.

"Which was HILARIOUS. And I totally won't do this time."

"Out." Sasuke commanded.

"Spoilsport…" Naruto groaned. "I go out of my way to help set you up with your dream girl, and you can't even let me play a small prank…"

"Now."

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Naruto groaned. As soon as he stepped out, Sasuke closed and locked the door behind him. The two started walking towards the park where Sakura was, neither saying a thing. Albeit, both were silent for two drastically different reasons.

Sasuke was quiet, because he wasn't so sure about this. He had been around a lot of women who were interested in him, and he learned to pick up the signs… He didn't notice any of those signs with Sakura during their dates. Not a single one. But Naruto knew Sakura better than he did. Naruto was the one who stuck around Konoha and became remarkably close with her. If he said she still liked him, then maybe she was just playing hard to get.

Still though… he was Sasuke Uchiha. He, unlike his idiotic teammate, was actually good with women. He knew how to talk, how to move. He knew how to read the signals. If Sakura really liked him as much as Naruto claimed, then he must be losing his touch if he couldn't see any signals whatsoever. And that thought hurt his pride a little.

Naruto, on the other hand, was completely quiet because his stomach had sunk too low for him to speak. This was it. This was the moment that he secretly dreaded but desperately needed. Sasuke was about to get together with Sakura.

"You're not actually planning on following me to watch, are you?" Sasuke asked as they reached the market.

"Well if I was in your apartment, I wouldn't need to… But I don't have anything else to do, so…"

"Just wait here. It won't look very good if I have you hanging around."

"Fine." Naruto sighed. "I'll just hang around here for a bit. Have fun, and let me know how it goes!"

"Will do."

Naruto watched as Sasuke walked off. He sat down on a bench to wait. He tried to ignore the pit in his stomach and the feeling of dread and desperately tried to think of something to distract himself. His eyes suddenly lit up. His distraction and salvation would be what was yesterday's problem – just what it was that he wasn't optimistic about.

He quietly continued pondering the issue, when in seemingly no time at all, he saw Sasuke walking back with a surprised, yet small smile on his face.

_She must have kissed him or something._ Naruto sullenly thought to himself. But he forced a giant grin on his face.

"So what did I tell ya? How does it feel to have a girlfriend?"

"I don't know." Sasuke replied. "She _apologized_ to me."

"Huh?" Naruto sputtered. That was not the response he was expecting. "What do you mean?"

"She apologized to me, because she wasn't interested in me that way. She said she had some ulterior motives for going on our dates, and she hoped she didn't hurt me."

"WHAT?!" Naruto yelled in shock.

"I told her it was ok. I was actually starting to think I was losing my touch with women, so it turned out to be more of a relief than anything."

"And she was ok with that?"

"Of course. She was relieved she didn't hurt me."

This didn't make any sense. Sakura loved Sasuke. There was no way she wouldn't…unless… his eyes widened. She turned Sasuke down on purpose just to win the bet! She was going to win the bet, and then go and get together with Sasuke! The surprise in his body quickly gave way to anger.

He was trying to help her. He was trying to get her together with the man of his dreams, and she was just playing games? Did she really not want to help him get a girlfriend that badly?!

"Damnit, I know what happened." Naruto growled. "Don't give up. I'm going to fix this…"

"She said you might have this reaction." Sasuke chuckled. "Well, go on. She's waiting for you."

"I bet she is…" Naruto growled. He stomped off towards the park leaving Sasuke to himself. He continued stomping all the way into the park where Sakura was sitting on a bench underneath the shade of a tree. Her eyes lit up and a large grin enveloped her face when she saw him.

"Right on time!" Sakura grinned. "Looks like…"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" Naruto roared, cutting Sakura off.

"Eh?" Sakura asked, taken slightly aback by his angry roar.

"Winning a stupid bet is so important to you that you would lie to win? You can't just lie to Sasuke like that! That's not how good relationships work, Sakura! You're lucky I was there, because he might have given up. Thankfully, I figured out what happened and told him not to give up. Now go find him and tell him you want to be his girlfriend."

"I honestly don't though, Naruto." Sakura said, smiling at him. "I only went on those dates with him because you wanted me to go."

"Bullshit! You're in love with him!"

"You obviously didn't figure out what it is you're not optimistic about." Sakura said, seemingly switching topics.

"I didn't… but stop deflecting!"

"I told you I would tell you once our bet is over. Well, I turned Sasuke down. Our bet is over. So do you want to know what it is, Naruto?"

"Later! Right now I want you to go tell the truth, Sakura!"

"The thing you're not optimistic about, Naruto…" Sakura said, ignoring his protests. Naruto opened his mouth to protest more, but Sakura uttered one simple world that caused his mouth snap shut. "Us."

"What do you mean… us?"

"You used to be optimistic about us…" Sakura went on. "Back when we were younger. But somewhere down the line, you started to believe it would never truly happen."

"Sakura, what are you talking about?"

"I can't really blame you though… Back then, when we were teenagers chasing after Sasuke… I did love him, and I didn't exactly make that a secret."

"And it's not a secret that you still love him." Naruto quietly countered.

"You really are hopeless." Sakura chuckled. "You would be screwed without me. Naruto, your belief that I'm still in love with Sasuke is exactly what I'm talking about. You are so pessimistic about your chances with me because you are convinced I'm still in love with my childhood crush."

"Not pessimistic… just realistic." Naruto weakly countered.

"I've been trying to think of a way to really convince you for a while now that I'm not interested in Sasuke like that. Then you offered me that ridiculous bet. I wasn't sure what your motive was for it, but I was curious. And it seemed like it could present an opportunity for me to prove that my eyes are set on someone else."

"Someone…else?" Naruto dumbly parroted back.

"Mmhm. I gave Sasuke every chance to quote unquote win my heart, because I knew it didn't matter. He didn't stand a chance."

"But…"

"See Naruto, I've already given my heart away, so there was no way for Sasuke to win it. Truthfully, I gave it away without realizing it. It was a bit of a shock for me when I realized it was someone else's."

"Wait… so you purposefully pointed out that I was pessimistic about us, and you're saying that your heart belonged to someone other than Sasuke…" Naruto said, slowly putting the pieces together in disbelief.

"Now you're getting it." Sakura said with a soft smile. She reached out and grabbed Naruto's hands.

"So I went through with your bet, but I wanted to make sure you got to see me dressed up. You see, I dressed up _because_ of my date with Sasuke, but I dressed up _for_ you. That's why I checked with you after the first night to see if I was overdoing it. I didn't want to go too far into the date and risk accidentally upsetting you."

"But last night… you said an era was coming to an end…"

"I did."

"Well… what era is coming to an end then?"

"The era of Naruto Uzumaki on his own and Sakura Haruno on her own. The era of Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno _together_ starts today." Naruto's eyes were wide as saucers as Sakura leaned in and stopped when her lips were centimeters from his own.

"Well… are you going to kiss me?" She murmured. Naruto still couldn't fully believe this was happening, but he closed the last few centimeters and pressed his lips into Sakura's. An electric surge of energy seemed to jolt through his entire body. He held the kiss until she pulled back and offered him another soft smile. And for the third day in a row, Sakura Haruno left Naruto Uzumaki dumbfounded.

Then, as fast as the soft loving look appeared it was gone. In its place was an excited, teasing look.

"I got you a gift to commemorate our bet by the way. Open it!" She placed the package his clone had spotted in his hands and watched eagerly as he opened it.

"Umm… what?" Naruto asked, sweat rolling down the back of his head. He held up a v-neck t-shirt in the exact same shade of red as Sakura's tank top. The Haruno symbol was proudly emblazoned on the back of the shirt, just as it was on Sakura's tank top. However, a smaller version of the Haruno symbol was sewn over the top-right breast area.

"You're going to wear that." Sakura grinned.

"Umm… no."

"You can't say no. I won the bet, and with our raised stakes, that means you have to do whatever I say for the next two months."

"But… you knew you didn't love Sasuke when you took that bet! It was unfair!"

"Not my problem. You agreed to the bet." Sakura said with a victorious glint in her eye. "You didn't realize it, but I was simply trapping you."

"You tricked me into raising the stakes! At the very least, I should only have to do what you say for a month, per our original bet."

"Not a chance, sucker." Sakura chuckled. "Now put that shirt on. I'm tired of seeing a bunch of women check you out. It's about time they know you're mine."

"But… Sakura, all the guys will give me so much crap if I wear this…" Naruto whined.

"You made the bet. Put. It. On."

"What if you wear something with my clan's symbol on it instead? We could get matching…"

"Now." Sakura commanded.

"You are a horrible girlfriend." Naruto groaned, sighing dramatically. He took off his orange jacket and black undershirt before slipping the v-neck on.

"Good, now the pants."

"Please not the pants…" Naruto whined.

"This bet was your idea." Sakura reminded.

Naruto sighed, but picked up the pants that had been included in Sakura's "gift." They were simple, black ninja pants, which wouldn't be so bad… if it weren't for the two stripes running down the sides that were the exact shade of pink as Sakura's skirt.

"You know… we're in public, I shouldn't…"

"Are you going to fight me on every command these next two months? Because we might have a problem if that's the case…" Sakura casually cracked her knuckles to accentuate her point.

"No problem!" Naruto yelped. He took off his pants and quickly put the pants Sakura got him on.

"Stand up; let me see."

Naruto stood up and Sakura looked at him approvingly.

"Turn around."

Naruto did as commanded and yelped as Sakura grabbed his butt.

"Good. You and I are going to have a fun two months." Sakura grinned. "Come on, let's go walk through town. I want _everyone_ to see your new outfit."

Naruto grumbled a small protest, but deep down, he wasn't upset at all. He was definitely never going to hear the end of this from all of his guy friends when they saw what he was wearing. But that didn't matter. Sakura lured him into a trap, but it was totally worth it. Because falling headfirst into her trap brought him together with her.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, offering her a true, happy smile that matched the one she was wearing. He no longer had to be pessimistic about his chances with her. He had her. Sakura was his girlfriend, and he had a good feeling they would go the distance. He squeezed her hand and allowed her to drag him out of the park and into the market. People instantly stared at them and started snickering when they saw the outfit he was wearing.

It was certainly going to be an interesting start to their new era.

* * *

Fin - hope you enjoyed the story! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and please do review!

-ND


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